A loaded CSX ribbon rail train traverses the, in-progress, Chesapeake, Susquehanna and Western RR on HARM night. HARM (Harford Association of Railroad Modelers) is a round robin group celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Located in northeast Maryland, members meet every Tuesday evening. This train is based on the CSX prototype often seen on the […]
A loaded CSX ribbon rail train traverses the, in-progress, Chesapeake, Susquehanna and Western RR on HARM night. HARM (Harford Association of Railroad Modelers) is a round robin group celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Located in northeast Maryland, members meet every Tuesday evening. This train is based on the CSX prototype often seen on the […]
Northeast T-TRAK Group members Fay Chin (left) and Julia and Chris Saari-Franks stand with Fay’s eight T-TRAK modules at the Kato USA booth at the Amherst Railway Society 2018 Railroad Hobby Show. Chris runs a Kato USA N scale Olympian Hiawatha and a coal train on the T-TRAK modules using a Kato powerpack and Sound […]
I like to use signs in my railroad to provide a more prototypical appearance. This includes the use of humorous signs like those I have seen in my travels. In this example, we will be using a free modeler called openSCAD to model the sign. That way you can model your own signs to meet […]
Rapido’s N scale EMD FL9 A split die-cast metal frame surrounds the motor and flywheels. Driveshafts transfer power to the trucks, driving four of the five axles, just like the prototype. N scale modelers who want to model commuter operations on the New York, New Haven & Hartford don’t have to pine for the HO […]
ScaleTrains.com HO scale UP water tenders Both ends of the ScaleTrains.com tenders feature independently controlled lights. Union Pacific’s steam excursion program began almost as soon as the use of regular steam power ceased on the railroad in 1960. Over the years, the UP has operated FEF-3 4-8-4 no. 844 and Challenger 4-6-6-4 no. 3985 in […]
Just Plug light system from Woodland Scenics Prices: $19.99 (no. JP5770 power supply), $19.99 (no. JP5700 lights & hub set), $9.99 (no. JP5725 auxiliary switch) Who doesn’t have buildings on their layout that lack illumination? I have a few old Plasticville structures as well as some buildings I made with Design Preservation Models panels that, […]
Kato HO scale GP35 diesel locomotive The 2015 version of Kato’s GP35 features a printed-circuit board with an eight-pin socket for a Digital Command Control decoder. The Kato HO scale GP35 features many separately applied detail parts including the handrails and air horn. After a long hiatus, the Electro-Motive Division GP35 diesel locomotive has returned […]
For the last decade General Electric Evolution Series (GEVO) diesel locomotives have been a dominant force on Class 1 main lines, and increasingly in HO scale product lines. This latest HO GE ES44AC from MTH comes with a variety of user-controlled effects. Equipped with the firm’s Digital Command System, the model operates reliably on direct-current, […]
Builder Jack Burgess uses two layout decks on his HO scale Yosemite Valley RR to yield a long main line. Author Tony Koester discusses the key points he, Jack, and other successful builders considered before they began constructing double-deck layouts. Jack Burgess photo Why would anyone want, let alone need, a model railroad with more […]
1. The Sierras. From Little Truckee River’s sawmill, trains pass several towns all the way to Lake Tahoe’s mines in the distance. Thirty years ago, Don and Sue Watters planted more redwoods in their already woodsy backyard to remind them of their favorite recreational area. The effect is quite dwarfing for viewers, who can picture […]
Jim FitzGerald, left, converses with the yardmaster at the Santa Fe yard in Bakersfield, Calif., in the early 1980s. Jim’s home layout was a superbly done multi-module intermodal yard. Last summer we lost Jim FitzGerald, one of the N scale community’s great pioneers. He’d just turned 90. He was one of my personal heroes and […]
